We are accepting abstracts for the 35th annual PAMA Symposium on Medical Problems of Performing Artists. We encourage the submission of research-based abstracts. Educational abstracts as well as proposals for workshops will also be accepted. Abstracts submitted to PAMA will be reviewed by the Symposium Program Committee. The abstract submission system is designed to make submitting abstracts more uniform.

All professionals and students are encouraged to submit an abstract. Submissions are not restricted to PAMA members. You will be notified of acceptance by January 31, 2017.

The PAMA symposium is designed to meet the research and practice needs of physicians, therapists, athletic trainers, educators, artistic directors, and other health care and performing arts professionals who seek to improve the well-being of performing artists.

Objectives

1. Identify current determinants of mental and physical health in performers leading to problems that contribute to harmful lifestyle choices, injuries and illness in performing artists of all genres.
2. Apply emerging research and treatment options emphasizing concepts of neuroplasticity and integrative medicine for psychological health, neuromuscular conditions, hearing and vocal health of performers.
3. Share specific Best Practice assessment tools, treatment applications, and implications for the performing arts clinician.
4. Describe and increase awareness of performers’ risk and lifestyle factors leading to substance use disorders, eating, mood and anxiety disorders and the treatments available.
5. Integrate education and information about the potential health risks of human performance and related environments in the care of both students and professional performing artists.
6. Define and review the role of community-based organizations supporting the health and wellness of performing artists.
7. Summarize and apply emerging best practices in integrative medicine in the management of chronic pain conditions in performing artists, as below:

Review the definition of pain; distinguish the difference between acute and chronic pain, and review the different management techniques.

Discuss the on-going evolution of pain management, with an update on current concepts of pain management in the United States, and how it applies to performing artists.

Review the risks, benefits, and side effects of opioid management for pain

Review non-medication pain management options

8. Recognize and apply best practices in the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders and “process addictions” in performing artists.

PAMA Regional Meeting - Boston!

Please join us for a workshop where keynote speaker Eli Epstein, NEC faculty member and veteran second horn of The Cleveland Orchestra, will present MRI films that clearly illustrate horn biomechanics that may lead to healthy, sustainable careers. He will show how methods of finger-breathing can lead to the healthy, sustainable, and effective practices demonstrated by an elite group of horn players, including Stefan Dohr, Fergus McWilliam, Sarah Willis, Andre Just, Markus Maskuniitty, Jeff Nelsen, and Marie-Luis Neunecker. This will be followed by experiential sessions of diaphragm release, exercises to support postural control of breathing technique and a breathing workshop. The afternoon will close with NEC faculty leading workshops on putting principles into practice with playing technique. Please bring your instrument!

Members Deanna McBroom, Lucinda Halstead, and Randy Dick presented a "Coffee and Conversation" session at the July 8-12 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) national convention in Chicago. This session focused on the NATS affiliation with PAMA and Athletes and the Arts (AATA) as well as "Singing Seniors" - focusing on the performance and vocal health-related issues facing our aging singers.

Bonnie Robson delivered two presentations at the Royal Academy of Dance's inaugural En Avant Dance Teacher Conference which took place August 20-23, 2016 in Toronto. This conference was attended by more than 500 registrants.

PAMA Members - Let us know where you are speaking! We will be making announcements in each newsletter. Send your information to Dorry Allen at services@artsmed.org.

A Moment to Remember

We are very proud of the work Leslie Harrington has done with PAMA over the years. Please join us in congratulating her on winning the 2016 Dawson Volunteer Award. The award was presented to her during the PAMA Symposium in New York City.

Thanks Leslie for your years of service!

GRAMMY FOUNDATION® GRANT PROGRAM: 2017 LETTER OF INQUIRY ONLINE

The GRAMMY Foundation is now accepting Letters of Inquiry for our 2017 grant cycle. With funding generously provided by The Recording Academy®, the Grant Program awards grants each year to organizations and individuals to support efforts that advance the archiving and preservation of music and the recorded sound heritage of the Americas for future generations, and research projects related to the impact of music on the human condition. Grant funds have been utilized to preserve private collections as well as materials at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and numerous colleges and universities. Research projects have studied the links between music and early childhood education, treatments for illnesses and injuries common to musicians, and the impact of music therapy on populations from infants to the elderly. In the past, nearly $7 million in grants have been awarded to more than 380 recipients.

HOW TO APPLY:
A letter of inquiry is required before submission of a full application. To read the guidelines and to submit a letter of inquiry for the 2017 GRAMMY Foundation grant cycle, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org/grants. The deadline each year for submitting letters of inquiry is Oct. 1.

Upcoming Conference

LEAP Together: Career and Life Transitions in Dance and SportNovember 11 and 12, 2016
Toronto, Ontario

This pioneering conference will bring together dance artists and elite athletes, sports and dance psychologists or therapists, directors of sports organizations, artistic directors, general managers, high performance directors, training institutions, educators, support personnel such as physical therapists, sport and dance science/medicine practitioners researchers, government agencies and other stakeholders.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity for the sport and dance communities to meet over a common bond – supporting high performers in their career and life transitions.

Members on the Move!

Congratulations to Robin Kish who received tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor of Dance at Chapman University in May 2016.

Congratulations also to Jennie Morton who recently accepted a new position as Wellness Professor. She will be teaching a musicians wellness program that is embedded in both the under-grad & post-grad curricula at the Colburn School in California in addition to her Adjunct Faculty position at Chapman University.

Chicago National Association of Teachers of Singing Convention

PAMA was well represented in July at the 2016 NATS Convention in Chicago. Check out the PAMA booth staffed by members Lucinda Halstead and Deanna McBroom!

Providers Needed for MusiCares Medical Network

To better address the ever-growing number of music professionals without basic or adequate medical coverage, MusiCares (50lc3 non-profit organization) works closely with a dedicated group of health care professionals through the MusiCares Medical Network to provide the valuable and often life-changing services that some clients require, but simply cannot afford. The network is comprised of providers who recognize this reality and generously give their time and expertise to treat MusiCares’ referrals that are underinsured or uninsured and lack the means to pay for services. Through the efforts of these professionals our clients are able to access specialty care that may not be available to them. MusiCares can often cover the costs of the services offered by the providers when the music client receives approval in advance.

MusiCares Medical Network providers are needed in a variety of specialty areas nationwide, including Internal Medicine, Anesthesia, Orthopedic Surgery, General Surgery, Physical Therapy, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, Occupational Therapy, Podiatry, Urology, Otolaryngology, Dermatology, Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine to name a few. We are interested in expanding our coverage to provide a broader outreach to the music community.

MusiCares will initially vet the client case to determine eligibility and will then schedule the appointment for the client in need. Initial fees will be determined in advance for the initial visit and all payments are issued directly to the provider after the services are provided. MusiCares provides direct financial assistance to approximately 6000 clients annually for a variety of issues and needs. Each provider in our medical network shouldn’t receive any more than a few referrals annually.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit:

Name
Type of practice
Credentials
Address of practice
Phone number
Contact name and email address for appointment scheduling
Website address (if interested in being included in our MMN group listed online)
Fee schedules

To Your Health
Articles Wanted

Are you interested in being published in a magazine? International Musician magazine is accepting submissions for their wellness feature "To Your Health".

International Musician magazine is the official monthly publication of the American Federation of Musicians, serving 80,000 professional musicians in the United States and Canada. The readers of the International Musician are professional musicians working in all genres of music. They run the gamut from classical to country and from polka to punk. They tour and record. They play in clubs and in symphonies.

If you are a PAMA Member, please consider submitting an article. To Your Health articles should be around 650 words and written directly to the layman musician, who is not a health expert. The article should offer direct, helpful tips and advice, and not just information about various health conditions. All articles are subject to approval and editing from the editors.

Send your article to Dorry Allen at services@artsmed.org to be considered. You will be notified via email if your article has been accepted. Please note that the Research Committee will only review submissions received from currently active PAMA members in good standing with the organization.

These articles are either nontechnical explainers with treatment and prevention tips for problems that may affect musicians—hearing loss, muscle cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, stage fright, etc, as well as health-related techniques to aid musicians (yoga, stretching, chiropractic care for musicians, correct vocal technique, etc.) These stories may contain direct quotes from musicians and/or practitioners, and should be written for musicians/consumers/ patients. All musicians interviewed or mentioned must be members in good standing of the AFM.

International Musician may use any submitted material as it sees fit for print and online versions of International Musician magazine without compensation due to Author; however, International Musician is not under any obligation to use the materials.

Author represents and warrants to PAMA and International Musician that to the best of his/her knowledge, the concepts, ideas, copy, artwork, electronic files and other materials produced do not infringe on any copyright or personal or proprietary rights of others, and that he/she has the unencumbered right to publish. Author will indemnify PAMA and International Musician from any damage or loss, including attorneys’ fees, rising out of any breach of this warranty.

Artwork (photographs, illustrations, music notation, and video links) must be hi-res and legally available for use. That means the Author (submitter) is wholly responsible for contacting the legal owners of all photographs and seeking permission to use them. All photo credits and captions should be submitted with the artwork.